Always a Bridesmaid
by Nina La Vough
Summary: After lying to her best friend about her dating life, Jordan finds herself in a tough spot when Kim gets remarried, makes Jordan her maid of honor, and requests that Jordan bring her boyfriend to the wedding. Who does Jordan turn to to help her out.
1. Confessions of a Recycled Bridesmaid

This time Nina is being written by NCCJFAN and jmkw. She's also being especially fluffy. This fic is basically meta. It has no direct links to current state of events laid out in _Push, Jump, Fall._ There is a reference to _From Harry... _and Jordan's disapproving, disappearing, friend Kim.

So...Disclaimer No. 1: We don't own Crossing Jordan. But we sure wish we did.

Disclaimer No. 2:Do not be surprisedif a cold shower is needed in the reading of this story.

**Chapter 1**

**Confessions of a Recycled Bridesmaid**.

For Jordan, it started out as a bad hair day and went down hill from there. Two insurance mandated autopsies and one octogenarian who had apparently boycotted personal hygiene of any type since the Carter administration. Add Slocum hanging over her shoulder making sure she had dotted all her 'i''s and crossed all her 't''s and Jordan was more than ready to end her shift.

When she let herself into her apartment that evening she wanted nothing more than a long shower and a good book. What she got was reading of a totally different sort. In her mailbox was one of those odd shaped, double sleeved envelopes that always meant somebody is getting married and by opening it the recipient was supposed to drop everything and relish in their joy. Jordan knew this one was on the way, but it still didn't make actually finding it in her mailbox any easier.

Her friend, Kim, was getting remarried and from what she had told Jordan, he was perfect. Jordan looked at the parchment in her hand and idly wondered if there really was such a thing as her perfect man. She had to admit if it was any consolation, Kim's man sounded like a nice guy. Heaven knew Kim deserved it. Her ex was a prince of a man who thought Kim's only worth was to bring home the cash to keep him in a style he wished to be accustomed. Now, it appeared like she had found someone who would treat her like a queen.

Jordan still didn't feel the need jump up and down in elation. She wanted to wish her best friend all the happiness in the world, but still want to strangle her. Kim addressed the envelope: My Dearest Friend: Dr. Jordan Cavanaugh and _guest._

Jordan kicked herself for not being upfront with Kim when she called the week prior. Sheepishly, she admitted to herself that being caught in a fib was just what she got for being such a _close _friend.

When Jordan first came back to Boston, she and Kim swore they'd get together at least once a week for lunch. That lasted for...about a week. Jordan couldn't put her finger on what happened. It seemed like months would go by before they could meet up. Then before Jordan knew it, even phone calls were far and few between. The last time Jordan could remember getting together with Kim, she had just started dating her future fiancé and Jordan was spending her lonely nights calling late night radio shows.

Jordan had to confess she was a little jealous, even though she couldn't honestly find a legitimate need for a man in her life. She looked around her cold empty apartment and admitted it would be nice having some help warming the sheets every once in a blue moon. But other than the occasional pickle jar, she really doesn't see any other use for a man. According to Jordan, they were always been more of a hassle then they were worth.

Jordan thought back to that notorious phone call. She had pulled a double and had just finished debating on her dinner choices; a week old box of Thai in the fridge or a lone can of pastaroni in the cupboard. She ended up opening a bottle of chardonnay that she had received as a secret Santa gift the last Christmas.

Kim's phone call came out of the blue. Engaged.

Jordan jokingly told Kim to live with him for awhile. The lack of tax breaks didn't mean squat when it came down to a divorce decree. Kim laughed her off and said she was ready to settle down. Her biological clock was ticking.

Jordan wondered if that really happened. Sure, she sometimes thought about having a baby. Happily, the feeling usually disappeared as fast as it would come. Outside of the fact that she didn't think she'd make a very good mother, she don't think she could handle the strings that are attached to motherhood...more to the point, the baby's father.

That's when Kim and her ticking clock caught her off guard...

"Jordan, would you be my maid of honor...again."

At Kim's first wedding, Jordan stood at the front of the church wearing a light pink satin dress with shoulder pads that would have made Tom Brady jealous. In argument, Kim reminded Jordan that they were barely legal and living on college scholarships and the cotton candy number was the only dress the consignment shop had that fit. Kim promised something a little more understated this time. All Jordan had to do was say yes.

There was no way out. Her friend, the litigator, had Jordan's back against the preverbal wall with a belly full of cheap wine. Jordan gave in and said yes.

"You'll be bringing this mystery guy of yours of course. I'm dying to meet him."

Jordan had to bite back a groan.

Ever since Jordan's disastrous experiment with anonymous sex, Kim had been vocal about Jordan's taste in men...or as Kim quaintly put it...her "piss poor lack of it."

Over time, Jordan grew tired of her suggesting she meet every single man, or woman, Kim could think of.

...So Jordan made one up.

She never gave Kim a name. Nor did she ever come right out and tell her she was actually dating someone ...but Jordan may have stretched the truth just a little. Okay, she admitted to herself, she exaggerated a lot. It felt like a good idea at the time. Kim was pacified and Jordan was able brush up on her thinking-quick-on-my-feet skills. Jordan justified her actions to herself by acknowledging not _everything_ was made up. Over the last year or so it wasn't like Jordan's life consisted of solely going for work to sleep and back to work again. She went out every once in awhile...and with people...Woody. Jordan was only guilty of embellishing those outings by calling them dates and painting Woody as someone special. Jordan assumed the odds of her ever having to actually produce this fabricated boyfriend were slim to none.

Jordan's first instinct was to drag Nigel to the wedding. Off the top of her head, Nigel was the only person she felt she could by totally comfortable while wearing pantyhose and pretending she was actually enjoying herself. The problem was, Kim knew Nige. She knew no matter how much Jordan loved him...the idea of them being a couple is about as likely as Boston letting the Soxs move to Jersey.

Jordan realized she was screwed. She needed to find a long term relationship and find it quickly. The engagement wasn't going to a long one. The wedding was going to be in two weeks.

Jordan briefly wondered if that power dating thing worked. She had to believe there were a few good ones left out there somewhere. It's that hope that keeps single women, everywhere, shaving their legs. Not that that was an issue. She'd settle for breathing a believable. It was only for one night after all. Not a life time.

Jordan tossed the envelope on top of a pile of bills she was constantly avoiding. Month after month she hoped the pile would mysteriously vanish. It never did...just like she knew the invitation wouldn't. Jordan dug deep and found her inner Scarlett O'Hara and made the choice to ignore it for as long as she could.

"I'll think about it tomorrow..."


	2. Gone with the Wedding

**Chapter Two**

**Gone with the Wedding**

And despite Jordan's hoping and praying, tomorrow did come. And the day after. And the day after that. And the envelope with Kim's wedding invitation stared at her like some ill-boding omen each evening after she came in from work.

Finally, with Kim's biological clock and her own watch of desperation running out of time, Jordan swallowed her pride and her better judgment and called Woody the next evening after work. Hopefully, he would remember that he _did_ owe her a few favors…albeit they were much smaller than the ones she owed him…Nervously, she punched in his apartment number….it rang…and rang….until finally the answering machine picked up: _Hi…This is Woody. You know what to do, so leave your info and I'll get back with you as soon as possible…BEEP._

"Uh…Wood….this is Jordan…and … um…I need to talk to you…I have a favor I need to ask…it's not a big one, honest…Nothing like going with me to LA…" She laughed nervously. "As a matter of fact, you can stay close to home for this one…Call me…_please?"_ She was more than aware that the last word held a tone of desperation that was normally not heard in her voice. At least she hoped so.

But Woody not only heard that note of desperation, he _recognized_ it when he checked his messages after work. He heard the same note in her voice her voice when she was imprisoned in LA after she chased Herman Redding across country…and again when she begged him to go with her there to free Faye. He groaned and found his own inner Scarlett O'Hara. He would wait until later…and then maybe play the Rhett Butler card…"Frankly, Jordan, I don't give a damn…" because he was just about sure whatever it was that was bothering Jordan would require him getting on a plane at least at some point in the next few days.

So…whether it was his inner Boy Scout or just plain curiosity, after a quick meal of left over Chinese and a shower, he found himself in front of her big red door, hesitantly knocking. She opened it with a jerk and a surprised expression. "Woody?"

"You did call and tell me you needed a favor…I was just checking to see what it was…and how far I needed to go this time."

"Oh." Jordan shot him a confused look. "But…you don't have to go anywhere…."

"Then how many laws will I have to break?"

"None."

Woody gave her a skeptical look. "Then what is it you need me to do for you that you can't do yourself?"

Jordan took a deep breath. "I need you to go to a wedding with me."

Woody looked at her like she had lost her mind. Was that what all her fuss was about? A stupid wedding? It didn't make sense…and obviously his expression told her that because she rushed ahead.

"You remember my best friend Kim?" she asked. Woody nodded. "Well, she's getting married again…and she asked me to be her maid of honor…again. See I was her maid of honor at her first wedding…and talk about a nightmare of a bridesmaid's dress…it was awful…pink with these huge shoulder pads…"

"I don't think you need me to help you pick out a dress to wear Jordan. Of course I'll go with you to the wedding. It's customary that the maid of honor have an escort, and I don't mind being yours." He started to walk away and then stopped. "It's really not that big of a deal, Jordan. I don't know what you were getting yourself so worked up over. You should have known I'd say yes…I can never say no to you…but you could have saved me a trip and left a message on my voice mail…" He reached out to put his hand on the doorknob..

"There's more to it than that," she blurted out.

The tone in her voice caused him to stop in his tracks and turn slowly….slowly…to face her. He knew it…he should have known it all along. There _was _a catch to this seemingly simply situation. "What is it?" he asked, his mouth dry.

Jordan nervously twisted her fingers together and looked at the floor. "Ummm. It's like this…sort of…"

"What is it, Jordan. Shoot me straight…it's late … I'm tired….just…what is it?"

If possible she lowered her chin a notch more. He had to strain to hear her mumbled words. "I sort of told Kim that I was dating someone special…that I had a boyfriend…so she kind of expects us…to…be…to be…"

"Together. _Really _together."

Jordan nodded, her heart in her throat. Now what would he say?

"So why did you lie to her about…a boyfriend?" Woody asked, trying to hide his amusement at her discomfort about her situation.

Jordan sighed and flopped down on her couch. "Ever since I came back to Boston, Kim has ridden my back about my dating life…or lack of dating life. More specifically 'piss poor lack of it.' I sort of exaggerated what friendship we had to get her to shut up."

"And now it's bit you in the butt."

Jordan nodded miserably. She wasn't sure what she would do if he said no…her options were sadly limited.

Woody watched her for a minute…acutely aware of her discomfort…and realizing with a blazing moment of inspiration, he could use this situation not only to help Jordan, but to his _own_ definitely advantage with the woman he had chased for years.

And by God, he wasn't above doing it…nor was he ashamed to admit it.

"I'll do it," he said quietly.

Jordan wasn't sure she had heard him correctly. "You'll do it?" she asked, the range of incredulousness making her normally contralto voice jump range to the soprano area of the scale.

"Sure...that's what friends do for each other..help each other out." Plus the idea of holding her, dancing with her….for hours. Just her and him…_and Jordan would have to let him…she couldn't run, she couldn't say no. _

"You do realize that while it won't be far outside of Boston, it will be overnight and Kim has us a room reserved together…"

"I would imagine so…the reception after an evening wedding can go on for hours…people are too tired to drive home…they've drank too much. It's a wise idea."

_Boy, was it…_

"You wouldn't have to stay….we could tell Kim that you are on duty and had to go back early…"

"Yeah…sure…that would work," Woody replied with a dimpled smile. _Leave, hell no. Jordan…alone with him all night…having to be alone with him through a web of deceit she spun herself…._

Things couldn't have been planned any better ….


	3. Different, as in Special

**Chapter 3**

**Different, as in Special**

Kim was true to her word. The dress she picked out, during an afternoon hitting the best boutiques in town, was a big change from the Crystal Carrington confection Jordan wore ten years ago. The price tag alone screamed understated elegance. Kim tried to justify the cost by saying that its deep cranberry color and knee skimming length made the dress something Jordan could wear over and over again. Jordan rolled her eyes and said that the body conscious fit and complete nonexistence of a back made it barely legal. Her protest lost most of its kick when she handed her credit card to the sales clerk. Still wondering if the creped silk was priced by the inch, Jordan signed the credit slip and draped the white poplin garment bag over her shoulder.

"Let me at least buy you a late lunch before you start to starve to death due to your lack of funds..." Kim drawled.

"I don't know. Even if I didn't just empty my bank account, every meal I eat from now until Friday night will show on that dress..." Jordan said with a teased back. "But the Irish in me won't let me walk away from a free lunch.

It seemed even though they could for weeks and months without talking, Jordan still saw Kim as her best girlfriend. They had been together forever and a bond like that is hard to break. Jordan knew if Kim had asked her to wear five hundred dollar gunnysack she would.

Kim linked her arm with Jordan's as they exited the store. "I'm sure that man of yours will like it."

Jordan missed a step as she felt a touch of color pink to her face. The last time Woody saw her in anything remotely revealing, as this scrap of artistically draped bias cut material, was the night they were hunting for Sickboy 23. That particular red dress was child's play in comparison.

"Wood likes red..." Jordan grinned uncomfortably.

"Wood? You know Jordan," Kim returned with a smug smile. "You've been pretty secretive about his guy. Don't tell me this one's married too..."

"..No," Jordan replied warily.

"...a serial killer?" Kim joked.

"No, he's a cop," she admitted finally.

"You always did have a thing for cops. So, I, ah, assume you work with him..." Kim said leadingly.

"...Occasionally," Jordan answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Enough about me. You're the bride. I want to hear again about your honeymoon plans."

Kim simply arched her masterfully groomed eyebrow. Jordan wondered how often Kim used that curve to sway a jury or intimidate a witness during cross examination.

"We already talked about my honeymoon, and the caterer, and the band...and my man. I want to talk about yours. Let's start out with the basics; is _Wood _his first or last name...or just an affectionate nickname?" Kim asked with a smirk.

Jordan's mouth opened and closed as she tried to form a non-answer as the implication of Kim's comment registered. She hadn't meant to slip and give Kim a name for her mystery date just in case something else turned up. Even though she knew the odds of finding her soul mate between now and the wedding about as likely as her admitting that she really didn't thrive on her life's problems.

"Alright," she sighed in defeat. "His name is Woody and it has nothing to do with his...assets."

"...O-Okay," Kim giggled. "Woody."

"His folks had a thing about naming their kids after dead presidents or something like that I guess," Jordan said with a nonchalant wave of her hand. "He's named after Woodrow Wilson…"

"Woody the cop, whose...assets...do not share a common nickname with him... Hmmm, he sounds interesting. Tell me more Jordan. I want to know everything."

"There's really not much to say, I first worked with him on a bank shooting case a few years ago. He was different..." Jordan said cryptically.

Kim's smile reminded of a cartoon cat after he had just swallowed a canary. The only thing missing was the feathers. "Different. I've heard you describe men as hot, boring, intense, and even intimidating...but I've never heard you say _different_. I assume it means he stood out from the usual crowd."

"I _do_ have to beat the men off with a broom." Jordan chuckled thinking of that naive, big-eyed farm boy she met on that cold January morning so long ago. If anybody had told her then how much that enthusiastic hick would affect her life Jordan would have denied it utterly and with a few choice words. She had to admit there was something...endearing about that Wisconsin native, even then. Nothing she could absolutely put her finger on. He wasn't anything she ever found attractive in a man. Even four years, and a lifetime of changes later, she still couldn't figure it out.

...and she didn't want to know either. It would mean putting a name on her feelings and for Jordan; it would be far too dangerous. As far as she was concerned, Woody Hoyt was just a good man. His heart was far too good for her.

"Mmhmm," Kim hummed. "It's been a very long time since the last time I've seen that look on your face."

Jordan unconsciously touched her own face. Realizing she was caught to close to the truth, Jordan brushed her rebellious hand through her hair. "That craving-cheesecake-but-can't-chance- the-calories look?"

Not swayed by Jordan's segway, Kim said, "No, I mean that look of love. He _is_ different, isn't he? Different as in special. After everything you've been through you deserve someone special Jordan..."

"Thank you Dr. Phil," Jordan cut in with a twitch of her lips. It was one thing to open the door on those thoughts in the privacy of her own mind, but it's quite another to confronted them head on in the middle of a busy city sidewalk with a woman that had nothing on her brain but romance.

"I'm serious Jordan. Who knows? Maybe this time next year we'll be planning _your _wedding."

"I won't hold my breath." Jordan said with more than a touch of sarcasm. "Could you imagine me dressed up like a three tiered wedding cake? No thank you."

"I'll try not to take that wedding cake dress crack personally," Kim smiled. "But you do realize women can get just as married in jeans and T's as they can with satin and lace."

Jordan doubted Woody would be the kind of person that would be satisfied with anything less than all the trimmings. Briefly her mind flashed the scene of a simple ceremony somewhere along the rocky shore of the Bay...a plain white dress, surrounded by friends, and Paul officiating because Woody would want a religious ceremony.

She brushed off the unwelcome fantasy as fast as it came. "I'm well aware of that fact. I just wouldn't plan my schedule around the possibility. Let's face it, I make a better bridesmaid then I'd ever make a bride. I'm just not the marrying kind."

"You always sell yourself short, Jordan," Kim said softly.

"No, I'm just a realist Kim. I'm happy you found someone who is perfect for you and thinks the same way about you. I just don't think I can be all that for someone else."

"You are a beautiful woman, Jordan. Inside and out. You need to wake up and see yourself as everyone else does."

Jordan motioned to the garment on her shoulder, "A slightly poorer public servant."

Kim sighed. It was an argument she has had with Jordan over and over through the years. An argument that always ended without resolution. Kim could only hope that someone...maybe even this Woody-the-Cop could find away to scale the walls of her self-esteem.

"You can't tell me the subject has never come up...Marriage I mean." Kim said, her voice spiked with curiosity.

Jordan couldn't help but picture the diamond ring Woody bought for her. She had to admit to herself that when she saw that distinctive little square box her heart leapt in her chest...and for the briefest moment it wasn't with dread.

"Aw...no. We are keeping our relationship completely casual. There's no sense messing with a good thing," Jordan added with a little laugh.

"Some how I have the feeling you're not giving me the whole story...but I'll get it out of you. And if I can't, I'll get it out of him. I have a feeling this Woody and I going to have a lot in common to talk about."

Jordan chuckled as if she was sharing in the joke. _Not if I have anything to do about it, _she thought.

Jordan could see the wheels turning in her best friend's head. Kim was deliriously happy in her relationship and she wasn't going to let a little thing like Jordan's little falsification stand in her way to make sure that her night was more miserable then just the inevitable twist in her pantyhose.

"Look!" Jordan yelled pointing to a small bistro at the corner of the street. "They used to have the best sandwiches in there..."

Jordan had no idea if they did or not but anything was better than standing out on the street having Kim analyzing her bogus relationship with Woody when she did everything in her power not to have to analyze it herself.

"...You promised."


	4. The Lady Is With Me

**Chapter Four**

**The Lady is with Me**

She had rehearsal Friday night before the Saturday evening wedding. So Woody was left to himself to pack and get ready to leave on Saturday morning. "Kim's going all out for this second wedding," Jordan had told him, grimacing at the wedding itinerary she went over with him before she left on Friday. "Bring casual clothes for Saturday morning and lunch…and I'm afraid the wedding is black-tie. Will that cause a problem?"

"Nah…I have a tux in my closet, Cavanaugh."

Jordan gave him a startled expression. "Please tell me it's not the frilly one left over from high school prom…"

Woody grinned. "It's not. It's very sophisticated…I'll do you proud, Jordan. Don't worry. But Woody had caught her biting her bottom lip. She was worried…not so much about the wedding as she was about how they were going to portray their relationship.

She was very clear with him…"Dance with me, but not all the time…sit with me…but it's okay to talk to other women. I've told Kim that our relationship was casual and we didn't want to mess it up by getting too serious."

"So it's a casually serious relationship?" he asked with a smirk.

"Something like that…"

"Just how am I supposed to carry that off, Jordan? Make it believable? I've never done anything like this before."

She looked just as befuddled as he was. "I don't know," she finally replied in sheer exasperation. "Just like now…only with a little more….heat…I guess," she finished somewhat lamely.

Woody looked her squarely in the eyes. "So I can kiss you this time…"

Jordan gulped and caught his gaze. She hadn't tasted his lips since the desert. Briefly she wondered if his kisses were still as sweet, then pushed the thought quickly from her mind. Of all the women in Boston, she was the last one a man like Woody needed to get involved with…she was far from his perfect, ideal woman and he was just too good for her. But she had to make their "relationship" believable to Kim. "I guess so…" she said dubiously. "Just this time…no tongue."

Woody had chuckled over her last statement the rest of the afternoon. _A kiss is just a kiss…_ _or so she thinks_, he mulled as he began to pack his things for the hotel. Kim's wedding would be held at a small chapel in downtown Boston, near the hotel. Since the wedding was an evening event and the reception would go on into the wee hours of the morning, Kim had booked Jordan and Woody a hotel room for them to spend Saturday night in. "You two can get as tipsy as you want and act like bunnies until 11 o'clock on Sunday," she had teased. Halfway through the reception, Jordan was going to tell Kim that Woody was called into work and had to leave. Jordan would occupy the hotel room by herself that night.

Or so she thought. Woody was going to do everything in his power to stay there overnight with her….hopefully in the same bed.

_Weddings are known to spur all kinds of romantic notions in even the sanest woman's head, _Woody thought as he pulled his overnight bag off the bed and made sure his tux was hung and ready to go the next morning. _Here's hoping Jordan Cavanaugh is no different._

* * *

He picked Jordan up the next morning at nine-thirty. They had to be at the hotel by ten. Kim wanted casual pictures made and a chance to greet her out of town guests. She needed Jordan for moral support…and since Woody was her escort, he was expected to be there for _her_. Not that he minded. Lunch would be at noon and then the girls would be whisked off to the spa for make up, manicures, and pedicures. Woody expected to spend some time at the bar, catch the BoSox game, and then go to their room to dress – alone. Jordan would dress with Kim. So after lunch, he probably wouldn't see her again until the ceremony.

"Are you ready for this?" he had asked her as they pulled up in front of the five-star hotel and he surrendered his classic car to the valet.

"You make it sound like this is _my_ event…" she said.

"Maybe it's your rehearsal?" he asked, working hard to keep the glimmer of hope out of his voice.

"Maybe it's a bad omen," she threw back, refusing to bite at his innuendo. "Watch out…there's Kim." Jordan plastered on a fake smile and waved to her friend. Woody watched as a petite brown-haired, brown-eyed woman with an olive complexion hugged Jordan.

"You're on time," Kim said.

"Well you threatened me to within an inch of my life if I wasn't," Jordan replied, noticing that her friend's eyes were traveling over Woody, eyeing him with the same predatory skills that a NFL coach uses on college players two weeks before the draft.

"And who's this?" Kim asked, extending her hand to Woody.

"This is my…my…friend I've been telling you about," Jordan said, giving Woody the 'look' over Kim's head. "Woody Hoyt."

"Nice to finally meet you, Woody. Jordan's told me so much about you," Kim said. Then turning to Jordan she added, "He's cute…a lot cuter than you described…"

"Well, words don't do him justice," Jordan said as she watched Kim and Woody shake hands. "Um…could you tell us which room is ours? I'm sure Woody would like to make sure his tux is there and ready…"

"And your bridesmaid dress and things will be taken to my room so we can dress together…again….just like old times….Sorry, Woody, Jordan's mine until after the wedding…then she's all yours."

"Oh. Sure. Fine. I'll just meet you two at lunch…" his voice trailed off as Kim took possession of Jordan. He had a feeling it might be a long afternoon.

* * *

Lunch came and went. It was casual and Jordan was able to extract herself from Kim's grasp as long as Kim's husband-to-be was in the room. Jordan sidled over to Woody and managed to sit down beside him. "Dear God, I hope she never does this again," she commented, taking a long pull off the beer that Woody had gotten for her.

"How bad is it?" he asked.

"If I hear one more word about the dress, the ceremony…or her soon-to-be husband, I'll be sick. I love Kim to death, but there's just so much a bridesmaid can handle."

"She's just excited, Jordan. It's to be expected. You'll be the same way when you get married."

Jordan opened her mouth to rebuff that statement with her typical _"It'll be a cold day in hell when…" _Instead, she looked at Woody and asked, "Do you think so?"

"I'd bet good money one it. I have a feeling, Jordan, when you find the right man, heaven and hell won't be able to keep your feet on the ground …or you away from the altar."

Jordan was silent for a moment, wondering if Woody had any idea that she had already found the ideal man…only to believe that she was his less-than-ideal woman. Second best. Not what he needed. Woody took her sudden pensive mood as perhaps a degree of sadness…or maybe even regret. Impulsively he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "We have to keep up appearances," he whispered against her lips. "Kim might have noticed I didn't kiss you when you came over to my table."

The brief, sweet caress took her by surprise. "Oh," she breathed, not moving away from him. "You're right.." She kissed him back…taking Woody by surprise.

"You two do have a room," Kim said, coming up behind them, grinning from ear to ear. She had been right she had watched Jordan's expression as her best friend was describing Woody when they were out shopping. This guy was different. Special. She had never seen such a look of contentment and happiness on Jordan's face. Casual relationship, her ass. Jordan was in love…and from the looks of things, so was Woody.

"Yeah, and thanks to your scheduling, we're due at the spa for make up and nails in twenty minutes….so forget the room idea," Jordan retorted to Kim, all the time her eyes had never left Woody's.

Woody couldn't answer. Her brief kiss back and taken his breath in surprise and sent his blood pooling in an area that was suddenly giving him great discomfort.

* * *

The music was lovely…as was the flowers….and the candles. But when the wedding march started and Jordan walked down the aisle in front of Kim, Woody nearly lost it right there. Wanted to stop the whole ceremony, grab her, and make a run to the hotel room Kim had teased him about earlier.

Jordan. Was. Gorgeous.

He had always thought her beautiful. However, nothing …no one could touch her tonight. Not even Kim. Later, Woody wouldn't even be able to recall what Kim wore. Jordan, however…he would never forget. The dress…in the candle light was a deep red…nearly a burgundy. And damn, she had always looked good enough to eat when she wore red. The thought flashed through his mind that he would like to give that very thing a try…then he remembered he was in church.

It dipped low in front, lower behind…appearing not to even have a back…leaving him to wonder just _how_ the dress was held up…and how easy it would be to get her out of it. It barely fell to her knee…her simple necklace and earrings, along with the carefully arranged hair piled on top of her head, bedecked with tiny pink and white flowers, all worked together to emphasize the fact that Jordan was a _woman_.

As if he needed any reminder.

Woody would never remember anything about the ceremony other than Jordan was beautiful…and Kim looked at her fiancé with such love and devotion that Woody prayed for the day he might receive the same gaze from a certain medical examiner. The ceremony was sweet, simple, and brief. When the "I do's" were said, the rings exchanged, and the vows sealed with a kiss, Woody found himself carried over with the waves of guests to the reception. Jordan remained in the church for pictures.

She came into the hotel ballroom nearly a half an hour later, right before Kim made her entrance. She looked for Woody through the crowd of people, craning her neck to see where he was at. She didn't see him anywhere. Reluctantly she made her way to the bar for a drink.

"Hey, sweetheart, what are you doin' here," asked a voice from behind her, slightly slurring his words.

"Waiting on Kim and her husband…just like you are.." she replied, not turning toward the obviously already inebriated man to her rear. She stubbornly kept her attention on the door and her drink, hoping the drunk behind her would take the hint and move on.

"Well…beautiful….and you are _so_ beautiful in that dress…maybe we can go somewhere and wait together…"

"I don't think so…see, I'm here with somebody…"

"Sure you are…sure…" Jordan felt a heavy, sweaty hand rest on her shoulder for a moment and then slowly slide down her bare back….Jordan silently cursed Kim for her taste in clothing and was trying to decide whether to turn and deposit her cold drink on his overheated crotch or just leave when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist.

"The lady is with me…" a voice said from her side. Somehow, someway Woody had found her. Just like he always did when she was in real trouble.

"Oh…oh…sorry, Mac. Didn't mean no harm. But if I can give you a word of advise…as a lawyer and a man…if I had a woman like that waiting on me…I'd be damned if I'd leave her alone at a bar…"

"Thanks…I'll take that into consideration…" Woody replied. Jordan could hear the note of amusement in his voice as he bent to whisper in her ear. "Sorry…some mid-life crisis mama had me cornered…trying to convince me she wasn't old enough to be my mother…"

"Was she?"

"Does it matter? I'm here with you. And only you." His mouth was so close to her face that his breath stirred the tendrils of hair escaping her up-do. She felt his lips briefly caress her cheek.

"You're carrying this pretend relationship a little far," she said, wondering if he heard the breathlessness in her own voice.

"Just helping you convince your friend you didn't lie," he chuckled, this time his arm pulling her back against his chest.

Jordan's heart beat so hard at this contact she hoped he couldn't hear it…or feel it…"Oh…you're doing a good job…"

"And you're enjoying it…Dance with me, Jordan." He stepped to the side and pulled her out on the floor, hoping to take advantage of the slow music that was playing.


	5. The Nearness of You

**Chapter 5**

**The Nearness of You**

The trio Kim hired for the party was remarkable... keyboard, drums and a guy that apparently could play anything he put his lips on. Jordan remembered Kim saying that he worked as a legal aid in her new husband's firm. Jordan wondered how long he'd research legalese with his talent.

Woody's arm never left her waist as he pulled her out on the floor. The band was just finishing the song and a polite smattering of applause followed. Jordan assumed Woody didn't notice. He still held her close moving to music that wasn't there.

"The music stopped..." Jordan whispered against Woody's shoulder.

"Really?" he murmured securing his palm along the curve of her lower back.

Jordan couldn't help be smile. "Are you trying to cop a feel detective?"

"It's all part of the act...besides I don't want to give your new friend the impression he can cut in."

Jordan looked over to the bar and noticed the man that had all but accosted her, drunkenly lift his drink in their direction. A few seconds later she couldn't tell if the vibrations that went through her body were from a shudder of revulsion or Woody's silent chuckles. She sharply slapped his arm, but the rest of her retort was lost on her tongue as the next song started.

The legal aid with the golden lips had traded his saxophone for his trumpet. For Jordan, the din in the background disappeared after the first few notes. The sensuous nature of the way he played the old standard didn't ask for specific dance steps. What it did was create the ambiance of seductive intimacy in the dancer's minds...a fact that didn't seem escape either of them.

Together, they swayed in time with the music. Lost in her own world, Jordan forgot about the chaos of the day and the fact that her feet were in new shoes. Her head found her own personal resting space on Woody's shoulder. His crisp cologne tickled her nose bringing a soft smile to her lips. After his crack about his aftershave all those years ago, Jordan would never admit, out loud, how much she loved the smell of him. It was more than the mixture of citrus and sandal wood, it was a scent that was uniquely him.

He was so marvelously warm, she wanted to sink into him, and she actually found herself pressing closer. Immediately, she started to pull back, but he stopped her by spreading his fingers over the back of her dress, running his thumb over the soft skin exposed along her spine, and urging her even closer.

"Relax Jordan. I won't bite." The words were barely a murmur, as if he didn't want them to intrude on the moment.

She relaxed against him letting her hand, which had been resting against the lapel of his jacket, trail up to curve around the base of his neck. She felt a nagging flicker of guilt enter into the shadows of her thoughts. She was shamelessly using him to cover for a lie...all in the name of friendship. She selfishly took advantage of him for comfort and for support...and she had to admit...for pleasure.

She couldn't deny the pleasure she found feeling the strength of his arms around her, the hardness of his chest rubbing against her breasts, as they swayed to the sumptuous wail of horn or the brush of his thighs against hers as he turned her around the floor. Occasionally, she even felt the bulge of his genitals, though she thought he was being careful about that...his manners never anything but perfect, as they always were. For once she wanted him to cop a feel. She found herself breathless; waiting for the next time her hip came in contact with his.

She could feel his heartbeat, slow and steady, beneath her palm and wondered if her own was racing. Their movements slowed as his hand trailed up her back inviting her closer still. She didn't think about protesting. His touch wasn't demanding at all, even when his hand reached the nape of her neck and tilted her head back. She saw the soft curve of his mouth, and then he was kissing her. Even that wasn't challenging. Her eyes drifted shut as her breath was taken away as his lips moved over hers brushing them, shaping them, all without his tongue. A little voice inside her head brazenly admitted she wished he would even though she knew he wouldn't. He promised, and if any Woody was a man of his word.

Jordan never heard the song ending and jumped in surprise as the drum player tap out a quick beat that promised the next song would be a little less dangerous.

Woody's mouth left hers with a hissing sigh. He let her go and looked around the room to see if anybody noticed how close he came to taking her right there on the dance floor.

To Jordan, he looked like he was reminding her it was all an act. Her eyes found Kim, who was happily being dragged out on to the floor by her one of her bosses, seemingly oblivious to her best friend's distress. Jordan suddenly found a great amount interest in the front of Woody's dress shirt. She didn't dare look into his eyes, thus letting him know how much his act was affecting her.

"I, ah, need to take a break...new shoes," she said.

Woody simply nodded and rested his hand politely on the small of her back to guide her through the thong of dancers. He snagged two glasses of champagne from the bar and pressed one in Jordan's hand.

Jordan climbed into one of the tall chairs that flanked the bar and took a sip of the cool wine. She was thankful for something to take her mind off the fact the absence of his body heat left her chilled, and her upper body reacting appropriately.

"I could rub them for you."

Jordan's mind scrambled to figure out the context in which Woody made his comment. Unconsciously, she folded her free arm over her chest.

"...Excuse me?" she choked.

Woody's keen eyes didn't miss Jordan's actions. His slow smile would have been complete with a canary feather sticking out of the corner of his mouth. "Your feet...unless you have something else that needs my attention."

For the second time that evening Jordan cuffed his arm. He gave a dramatic look of mock pain that only made her laugh.

"In your dreams, cowboy."

His answering smirk was so self-satisfied, so confident...So. Damn. Sexy, it hurt.

Woody hooked his foot on the rail along the back of Jordan's chair and loosened his tie only to fuss with the loops

"You can take it off," Jordan pointed out. "I promise not to tell," she added with a tiny curve of her lip.

"We're in a room full of lawyers Jordan," he said still fumbling with his newly loosened tie. "You can't show them any weakness. They're like sharks with the memory of an elephant."

Jordan brushed his hands away and leveled the bowtie herself. "If that's the case," she murmured reaching up to rub her lipstick off the corner of his mouth with the pad of her thumb. "Maybe Lancome's _Rouge Absolu Bordeaux_ is not right shade for you."

"Nonsense," he grinned, rubbing his mouth himself. "I consider it a badge of honor," he finally murmured.

Jordan looked around the room and with its pockets of male egomaniacs. Kim once told her that, for the alpha males in her office, the only thing that was more important than checks in the win column was trading stories of their personal victories with the ladies.

"...I'd think in this crowd it would be more of a badge of conquest."

"If you were single, which you are not."

"It's only an act and only for the night."

"Whatever you say Jordan...but from where I stand you are hopelessly compromised."

She knew he was just joking, but her eyes narrowed anyway. "And what do you mean by that?"

They were interrupted when Kim approached waving her bridal bouquet in the air. With a low squeal, she gave an amused Jordan a big hug. "I can't thank you enough Jordan. This evening wouldn't have been right without you."

"You're welcome," Jordan replied clinging to Kim for another few seconds.

Kim stepped back and gave Woody a warm hug. "You, Handsome, take care of my girl...or I'll have to hunt you down and kick your ass."

Woody chuckled at the comment but still tugged at his ear, unconsciously, knowing there was an underlining thread of truth in Kim's statement. He would hate to meet her or her new husband on the wrong side of the courtroom.

With a sly smirk Kim tossed her bouquet in the air. Jordan had to catch it or chance the thick ribbon wrapped bundle hitting her square in the face. She gave Kim and uncomfortable smile.

Kim tilted her head. "It's your turn, girlfriend..." she arched her eyebrow in Woody's direction and said; "...You're right, he's perfect. Take this as a hint to make it a little more serious than casual."

She patted Woody's chest and his breast pocket. Like she had x-ray vision, her fingernail tapped against the room key card he had stored there. Kim whispered in his ear, "As for you...check out is at eleven. I hope you use your time wisely."

Kim smiled enjoying Jordan's obvious discomfort. "I'm planning on having you both over for dinner after we get back from our honeymoon. I want to get to know you better Woody...take care."

As brightly as she arrived, Kim disappeared into the crowd trying to catch people before they could disappear to lives of their own.

"A dinner party...great."

Woody shrugged, "Think about it Jordan. After this evening, Kim has a face to put with your excuses."

A slight frown marred her features as she emptied her wine glass. "I feel like I've stepped into a wildfire."

Woody set his untouched champagne back on the bar and wrapped one of the loose curls, dangling down the back of Jordan's neck, around his finger. "You know what they say about fires Jordan: What better way to put out a fire, than by letting it run wild."

The feel of his knuckle brushing her skin and the honey coated tone of his words sent a tingle down her back.

Woody missed his calling. Instead of a cop, he should have been an actor. Jordan was having a hard time finding the line between reality and pretend...and she didn't know if she wanted to.


	6. Use Your Time Wisely

**Chapter Six**

**Use Your Time Wisely**

She stood there for a moment, in obvious discomfort. When she had started this ruse, it had been to cover for a lie…a lie she had told Kim…that Woody was the special man in her life.

_And oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive,_ she thought, staring down at the bridal bouquet she was still holding. When she realized the implications of what she had done, Jordan let the thing drop to her feet. She had compromised her friendship with Kim…lying to her best friend to cover up the fact that her love life really was piss-poor.

Worse than that, she had lied to Woody…who in many ways, she considered an even closer friend than Kim. Oh hell, who was she kidding? Woody had passed the friend stage months ago. She may not have admitted it out loud, but in her heart, she considered Woody more than a friend for a long time.

But she had never told him that. She had relegated her feelings and any emotions he may hold for her to the friendship level. True, she was afraid of being hurt, but she was more afraid of hurting _him_. Woody Hoyt was a good, solid, dependable man with movie star looks and the manners of a true gentleman. He was the type of man every girl dreamed of waking up to each morning and the type of guy every father hoped his daughter would bring home for the family to meet.

She, however, was hopelessly flawed and not near good enough for a man like Woody. She swallowed hard and blinked back a few tears as Woody retrieved the offending bouquet from the floor and handed it back to her.

"I think this belongs to you," he said, giving her the troublesome bouquet back and smiling softly at her face, reading the confusion and pain with the knowing intellect of a detective. "Come on. Let's get you out of here. Some fresh air will do us both good." Placing his hand possessively once more on the small of her back, he led her through the side doors of the ballroom, into a garden area with a fountain.

Jordan let him silently lead her away from the guests, to slowly circle the fountain, all the time thinking how she had not only just screwed up her friendship with Kim, but now had also blown it with Woody. He would never care for her…respect her…the same way he had before…not after what she had done….

"So I'm perfect, huh?" he asked quietly, the amusement still evident in his voice.

"Hmm? What?" Jordan shook her head, suddenly aware that Woody had not been privy to the battle that was going on in her thoughts.

"Perfect. At some point, when you were describing me to Kim, you said I was perfect…"

Jordan swallowed hard. Evidently all her lying chickens were going to be hatched out tonight. "Yeah. I guess I did."

"That's good to know. Here all these years I've been thinking I had to reach some unspoken standard in order to get you to go out with me…and all this time I didn't. I was _perfect_ already…" he chuckled.

Which made Jordan feel even worse. She tucked her chin to her chest and studied the bouquet she still held in her hands…she felt like dropping it in the fountain and begging Woody's forgiveness.

And then sentencing herself to a life in exile away from anyone else she could lie to and hurt.

"There is no unspoken standard," she whispered, hoping that didn't sound as miserable as she felt.

"There's not? Could have fooled me," he replied, halting their walk so he could look her in the eyes. "Then if there's not…what makes me so perfect, Jordan? Even in your lie to Kim, I can't see you popping out that statement if there wasn't at least some truth behind it." He gently raised her chin so he could force her to look at him.

Nervously, Jordan licked her lips and stared into his blue eyes. A quick glance around the garden area told her that they were alone and the garden was walled. There was no way of escape unless she ran through Woody and back through the doors of the ballroom they came out of.

And with his muscular build, Woody wasn't about to let that happen.

Well, she had screwed up everything else about tonight…why not this, too?

But in a brief moment of inspiration, she realized that after all the deceit of the evening, maybe….just maybe…the truth was the most viable option. "Because you…you…just are.." she stammered. He raised an eyebrow at her. "It's the truth, Woody. You are. You're always a perfect gentleman…you're smart … you're kind to old people and animals and kids…You coach Little League in the spring. You give to the United Way…"

Woody shook his head. "That's not what I mean, Jordan. What makes me perfect for _you_?" He didn't release her chin, holding her captive to look deep in her eyes…not giving her the chance to do her duck-and-run dance or to lie to him about this.

"Perfect for me? Me?"

Woody nodded.

_God, he's not backing away from this one…_ she thought, getting lost in the crystalline blue of his gaze. "Ah. Woody…there's so…many things," she began, suddenly having a hard time getting her lungs to work properly.

"So tell me," he whispered seductively, his lips suddenly at her ear, finding that sensitive spot right below her lobe.

"Oh." She sucked in a breath. "You're tall…I like tall men."

"And…" he prompted, as she fell silent under his caressing lips on her neck.

"Your…your eyes. Have I ever told you how much I love your eyes?"

"No…as a matter of fact, you haven't. Go on…"

Vaguely, in the back of her mind, she fleeting thought about the fact that Kim and her husband had already left for their honeymoon…there was no need for Woody to keep up this charade.

But there was no way she wanted him to stop, either. So she tried to comply with his wishes.

"You're there for me, Woody. You've always been someone I can trust…and depend on when I have to. You've never let me down. And coming from a woman who's been lied to most of her life by men she thought loved her, that's a sincere complement." She felt his lips grow still on her neck and he pulled away to look her in the eyes again. Fearing she had offended him, she rushed on…

"You're not afraid to let me be who I am…you respect me…you may not always agree with me, but you respect me. You're kind to me…and gentle…and more patient than I deserve." She pulled away from him and looked down at the damn flowers that had pulled her thoughts in this direction… aware that she had probably ruined any chance she had with this man…and would never be his. "I may have stretched the truth to Kim when I described our relationship, Woody, but I wasn't lying when I said I thought you were perfect. You are…you're a wonderful guy…the ideal man…" _Far too good for someone like me_…she thought, as she felt him take her arm and begin to slowly stroll around to the other side of the fountain. She grew a little more despondent with each step.

If Woody was nothing else as a detective, he was a good people-reader. He could read body language better than the average policeman…and used it to his advantage. And this situation with Jordan was no different. Jordan may be thinking that tonight was going to end up disastrously, but she was wrong.

And if he had anything to say about it, she was also wrong about sleeping alone tonight.

"The ideal man…." he pondered out loud, pulling her attention out of her wallow of misery. "I've been called many things in my lifetime, Jordan Cavanaugh, but _ideal_ is not one of them."

She forced a laugh. "Well, there's a first time for everything…Consider it a complement."

"I will…especially coming from you."

"And just what does that mean?" she asked, starting to turn towards him, a little indignant at his implication, but Woody's hand on her arm kept her facing forward.

"It means…that whether you realize or not, you do have a standard, Jordan Marie Cavanaugh. And I, Woodrow Wilson Hoyt, have met it." He didn't try to keep the note of triumph out of his voice.

Lowering her head again and feeling the heat rush to her checks, she had to admit he was right. "I …I guess so," she said, almost meekly, taking a half-step ahead of him.

"Do you know what my ideal woman is, Jordan?" he asked suddenly, stopping her in her tracks.

"N…no…" she answered, still sounding timid. Whatever his concept of the perfect woman was, she was sure she didn't fill it. "I don't know…" the rest of the statement stuck in her throat. She wanted to say _I don't know…and I don't want to know because I'm sure I'm not her.., and damn it, that would just hurt too much. _

"Well, she's petite…"

_Well, at least I am small…thank God for good genetics and DNA…._

"But big enough in all the right places…." She could hear the chuckle in his voice.

_Okay…so I'm petite all over…lost out on that count…_

"She's stubborn…and even more stubborn when she thinks she's right…She's opinionated, will stand her ground and not let anyone push her around…"

_He must like Irish women_.

"But she's also one of the most compassionate women I've ever met…loves her friends like family and will bend over backwards to help them." He stepped up closer behind her and gently put his hands on her bare arms. "She's more than just smart…she's intelligent and trusts her instincts…which are stellar, by the way." He gently ran the fingers of one hand up her arm to thread through the soft tendrils of hair on her neck. "And she has this beautiful, brown hair…" The other hand softly trailed down her other arm to her waist and turned her around. "And she has these honey-colored eyes that I could get lost in…and that I know would turn the color of sweet chocolate when I make love to her…"

Jordan studied Woody's face for a second…reading everything that was there. He wasn't acting any longer. The look in his eyes told her he was more serious right now than he ever had been with her. "Woody?" she breathed, their lips now millimeters apart.

"And her name is Jordan Cavanaugh," he finally whispered before closing the space between their lips.

He kissed her thoroughly, doing more than just shaping her lips this time. He gently traced her bottom lip with his tongue, asking that she do more than just kiss him chastely Eagerly, she opened her mouth and was rewarded by a kiss whose depth and emotion made her toes curl up in her uncomfortable shoes.

How long they stood their in that garden, neither one of them would remember. Jordan just knew when Woody finally broke the kiss, and moved away, she was even colder than when he pulled away on the dance floor…and this time every nerve ending in her body was protesting his absence. She instinctively moved closer to him again.

Always a gentleman, Woody obliged her wishes…kissing her again, this time letting one arm stay at her waist, keeping her close, while the other hand splayed across her backside, pulling her closer still. Jordan felt her body dew all over and was gasping by the time he released her, leaning on him for support afterwards.

"You know…I think it's time we took Kim's advice," Woody whispered in her ear.

"Hmm? What?"

Woody took her hand and put it on his shirt pocket where she could feel the room key card. "That we use our time wisely…"


	7. Learning to Make Love

**Chapter 7**

**Learning to Make Love**

"You sound pretty confident," she grinned.

She noticed his smugness falter for a heartbeat before a smile quirked one corner of his mouth that would have looked perfect on a high priced hooker and was somehow sexier on him.

He grazed the tip of his finger down the center of her back, making her feel warm and cozy inside, even through her skin was covered with goose bumps.

"The ball's in your court Jordan," he glanced at the exit. "If you want me go, I will. But I'm hoping you'll ask me to stay."

Jordan pulled her hand away from him and toyed with the flowers in her hands crushing the petals between her fingers.

Could she be sure? Was what just happened only pretty words spoken during an enchanted evening? There were hundreds of women that could fit the description Woody just gave her. One or two she could name herself. Jordan's heart screamed to believe him and take the chance while her mind wanted a safety net. Some kind of guarantee that once the clock struck midnight, what Woody had just offered her wouldn't dissolve into a pumpkin and a couple of rats.

Somehow he had gotten under her skin, into her heart, and then into her very soul, and into a place that a frightened ten year old girl had shut down years ago: For the first time in forever she wanted to live the fairy tale. She didn't want to think about tomorrow and its implications. Only she wasn't ten any more. Too many years and too many...things have happened.

He told her she was his ideal of perfection. Sleeping with him would prove how imperfect she was. Sex was something she was very familiar with. At that moment she wished it wasn't. Without even asking, she knew Woody could probably count his sexual partners on one hand. For him, it would have never just be sex. It would be making love.

And for all her experience, Jordan didn't have a clue how to make love.

Her silence wore on. Woody swore under his breath and said, "I understand..."

Jordan cut him off by putting she finger against his lips. "I want to be with you...I really do," she blurted.

"...there's a _but_ in there somewhere," Woody murmured. He was ready to turn and walk out but a single word stopped him.

"No."

He studied her, waiting for her to continue.

"I'm tired of lying. I'm tried of standing by and watching everybody else find happiness...but when it comes to you, I'm scared Woody. I don't think I've ever been more scared in my entire life."

"Jordan..." he said, dropping the seduction, and reaching for her like he had a hundred times before. "...it's just me. I could never hurt you. At least not intentionally."

"I know," she whispered against his lapel. "That's why I'm afraid. I don't know how _to do _a real relationship..."

Woody visibly relaxed, setting her more on edge.

"Is that all?" he smiled against her hair. "I hate to break it to you like this Cavanaugh, but we've been in a relationship for years, untraditional and problematic at times...but a relationship none the less. There's no manual or how-to book to tell you how to make a relationship work. There are ups and downs and you hope you both don't hit that valley at the same time. You just have to remember why you're there and trust the other person does too. _I love you, Jordan_. And to me, that's half the battle. "

Jordan lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "You love me?" she asked in amazement.

"Of course," he smiled. "Why else do you think I'd do all this? It's because of what we mean to each other. What you mean to me. "

He could still see the disbelief in her eyes. He cupped her face between his palms so there was no way she could not see his sincerity. "I Love You, Jordan."

Jordan didn't reply. She just blinked twice and once more the flowers fell from her hands, forgotten. She rose to her tiptoes and reached for his lips with hers.

The kiss started out frenzied. Her mouth opened hungrily under his, he answered with equal urgency. Their hands groped, clutched and traveled over each other, exploring, grasping, needing closer contact. Woody's heart told him to take her quick, before she could change her mind, but his brain said to take his time to make sure it was special for both of them.

"Room?" he murmured against her throat. He felt her nod. Slowly he peeled himself away from her, letting his hands slide down her sides and to her hips.

Her face was flush, her dark eyes nearly black with dilated pupils. Her lips were slightly swollen from his kisses. And her expression was even more seductive in reality than it ever was in his dreams.

With a relieved sigh, he cupped her face once more and took a long sip from her lips.

"Follow me," he whispered breathlessly. He took her hand in his and led her to the elevator and to the door of the suite Kim reserved for them for the night.

"I don't want you freak when you see my stuff in there..."

Jordan cut him a dirty, but sultry look. "Are you telling me you planned this?"

Ashamed, he didn't answer.

Haughtily, she reached in his pocket and pulled out the card herself and opened the door. She backed her way in reaching out to grab him the shirt front and dragging him in after her. "Always the Boy Scout..." she smirked.

Without letting him go, she backed through the darkened suite until she reached the bedroom. She stopped only to kiss him passionately, reaching out to pull his shirt out of his pants.

Woody felt like he was going to explode right out of his body. His blood hummed and his senses were reeling out of control. With great effort he slowed the kiss, brushing his hands over her face.

"We've got all night, Jordan," he whispered against her lips.

Jordan sighed against his mouth as he teased her lips with his teeth and his tongue. His hands held her head gently as he tasted her, wordlessly sending her the message that he wanted them to slow down and appreciate what they were about to do...fully and completely.

Jordan felt a moment of panic. She wasn't used to this slow pace Woody wanted to set and she was afraid she wouldn't be able to react to find her own pleasure. She pushed back; pressing closer and daring him to find an all consuming rhythm that would take them both where they needed to go.

But Woody stood firm, shushing her, calming her like a trainer does with a spirited thoroughbred. He held her loosely, resting his forehead against hers, taking deep breaths trying to convince his rebellious body to make this special for them both. He shrugged his jacket off and pulled off his constricting tie.

With tender fingers, he reached for her hairdo. One by one he plucked the flowers and bobby pins out, scattering them on the floor. When he pulled the last fragrant blossom out, he saved it, and tucked it behind her ear. Jordan smiled at the gesture and touched the flower, finding her self blushing. She realized even though he knew he was going to be with her, he still wanted to make her feel like he was still trying to win her.

This fact became even more evident as his eyes asked her permission when his hands trailed over her shoulders to the thin straps of her dress. He was making her feel like it was her first time...

In some ways, it was.

Jordan gave him a slight nod and his fingers curled under the thin silk. Slowly, he peeled the straps over her shoulders and pushed them down her arms. The dress didn't give any resistance and floated to the floor leaving her wearing only a pair of matching shoes and a flesh-colored thong.

Woody stepped back and just drank in the delicate beauty of her body.

Jordan was never comfortable with her figure. Her breasts were too flat, her hips too harsh. She missed the soft curves that most men find attractive and had been told as much, more than once. She started to fold her arms over her chest when Woody stopped her.

"Don't."

His voice was low, husky, and he gave her a heavy lidded smile that was so seductive, it kicked her in the gut. She let her arms fall limply to her side.

Before she could do anything but utter a surprised gasp, Woody swung her up in his arms and laid her on the cool sheets of the turned back bed. Jordan breathlessly braced herself, waiting for him to fall on top of her, finally ending this dance they had dancing for so long.

...but, she'd have to wait.

His hand reached out and skimmed her waist almost chastely as he leaned over to kiss her lips softly. She bucked under his teasingly slow tempo and, with demanding hands, she reached for his shirt, opening enough buttons to wrestle it over his head. Woody didn't give her much of a fight. He pulled his arms out of the sleeves and sent it flying across the room with a flip of his wrist. But when Jordan reached for him once more, he backed off again. This time wagging a finger at her.

"Not yet," he smiled moving to the foot of the bed.

Jordan sighed in frustration and flopped back on the pillows. "I'm ready now."

Woody ignored her with a low chuckle. Wordlessly, he sat down and pulled her feet into his lap. One by one, he unbuckled the narrow bands of her strappy shoes and dropped them to the floor. Tenderly, he pressed his thumbs into the ball of her left foot rubbing small circles.

It was all Jordan could do to keep her eyes from rolling back in her head. As it was, she closed her eyes and sighed, figuring she could take a break... from getting busy...to enjoy a good foot massage.

And a good foot massage it was. Woody worked magic with his fingers, all but erasing the pain of wearing shoes that were designed for looks over comfort. She felt herself relax, in more then one way, until she felt his lips on her arch.

Jordan's breath caught in the back of throat as the tip of his tongue traced a line around to her ankle and his hands traveled up her leg. A nip of his teeth on the back of her heel shot straight to her groin. Funny, she never considered her feet as very erogenous...but then again she couldn't remember anybody ever paying this much attention to them before.

His mouth followed the path his hands were forging. Her legs parted easily as his torso moved over her. Almost unconsciously, Jordan realized that the rest of his clothes had disappeared while he was rubbing her toes. What she couldn't see, she could feel. His body was hard and smoother then she thought it would be. His skin was soft and warm. Very warm. She bent one knee and wrapped her calf around his lower back urging him closer.

Jordan inhaled sharply as his fingers brushed her center. She could have sworn this slower, more tender approach to intercourse would leave her struggling for her own fulfillment, but Jordan was quickly learning that Woody's way of doing things might have some merit after all, especially when she could feel the warmth of his breath brush over the silk of her panties. She wanted to scream and tell him to just rip them off, but in the back on her mind she knew he was giving her another way out if she wanted it. Jordan had no doubt that if she should change her mind, at anytime, he'd honor her wishes. She had been with men that didn't.

She shuddered and swore under her breath as his lips found her. Her fingers dove through his hair alternating between guiding him in one direction and pulling him in another.

Woody used his tongue to dampen the wedge of material that covered her. She was warm and responsive, even more so than in his dreams. He slipped his finger easily around the edge of her thong to find out just how warm and responsive she really was. As his finger entered her, a deep hissing moan echoed in the room. For the life of him, Woody didn't know which one of them it came from. Her body wrapped around his finger like a glove. He wondered if she was that hot around his finger what she would be like around...

"Come here..." she whispered pulling him up.

He rose above her pressing his erection against the thong's thin slip of fabric. His lips found her breast, first one, then the other, drawing her nipples deep into his mouth. She arched into him sending the pull of his mouth straight through her body.

Dimly, she heard whispers that alternated between sweet and raunchy... surprising her with his intensity. This man was not the farm boy she met on that cold January morning. Maybe he never was. Suddenly, she needed to taste him, touch him, and feel him in her own way. Jordan couldn't lie submissively any longer. She hooked her calves with his and rolled them over.

She reached down between them, and wrapping her fingers around him, biting her lip at his moan.

"Hi there," she smiled against his lips. Her kiss started softly, slowly, matching the pace he had demanded, only to find his control melting quickly. The knowledge that she had the power to make such a strong, confident...ideal man go crazy, gave Jordan a rush from the power. She backed up tisking him with her finger like he did earlier. With a sly smile, she leveled up to finally pull her panties off, and flung them across the room like a frilly rubber band. She wanted him to know that she wasn't about to back out.

The Mona Lisa soft smile she gave him was beautiful enough to rock him through his core.

"Woody, I love you."


	8. Freak Me Out

**Chapter Eight**

**Freak Me Out**

With those words, she captured his mouth again, deliberately keeping her kisses soft and slow…her hands still gripping him as she wanted to give him as much pleasure as he had already given her.

But Woody had other plans. Gently cupping the sides of her face in his hands, he stilled her movements for just a moment. "What did you say?" he whispered, reluctant to break the mood, but needing to make sure he heard right.

Pulling back for just a moment, Jordan smiled at him again. "I love you," she said, almost shyly.

"That's what I thought you said." He pulled her down for another kiss, moaning softly against her lips as she worked her body over his. She moved from kissing his lips to kissing the corners of his mouth, down his neck…all the while inhaling the scent that was uniquely Woody….the scent that could turn her on just by a mere whiff of it…citrus and sandal wood and his own essence.

Sliding down his body, she continued her exploration of him…committing his body to memory as much as he had done hers. She alternately kissed then licked his collar bone, eliciting another round of moans from him. "Oh God, Jordan," she heard him gasp.

Giving a deep, throaty chuckle, she whispered in his ear, "Hang on, Farm Boy…we're just getting started…'

"You're going to be the death of me…"

She ignored his statement and continued…her lips finding their way down his chest, her fingers releasing him to trace his hard abs while her tongue circled his nipple and then pulled tugged at it lightly with her teeth before she drew it into her mouth. When she had satisfied her curiosity with that one, she turned her attention to the other, still lightly massaging his abs, all the time knowing she was just turning him on even more…his moans were growing more frequent…

Until she kissed the rest of the way down his chest, circled his navel with her tongue, and found him with her mouth. A sharp, hissing intake of his breath let her know she had breached his final barrier.

"God, Jordan…." She heard him swear under his breath.

She tasted him, feeling his response, letting him guide her in her exploration of him…finding out how and where to best give him pleasure…feeling his fingers tangle and then bury themselves in her chestnut hair…until he finally reached down and hauled her up to him, kissing her hard and with one quick motion, rolled her beneath him, softening his kiss only marginally when he felt her response … his hand resuming their exploration of her…cupping her full breasts and still taunting her lips with his teeth and tongue.

"Now?" she questioned, slightly breathless again at his ministrations.

This time Woody chuckled in her ear. "Soon…very soon…remember the stuff I told you not to freak out about?"

Jordan nodded, her imagination running rampant.

"Don't freak…okay?"

She nodded again, but didn't have time to think about what else she could possibly wonder about with this man, when she felt Woody pull himself off her and flip her over on her stomach.

Jordan didn't even have a chance to ask what he was doing….she felt him straddle her hips and then felt him reach across to the night stand. A small click let her know he had opened something and she felt him pour something across her back…at the top of her shoulder blades…the sensual warmth spreading down her back…then his hands began to massage her back…as the smell of brown sugar and vanilla tickled her senses and her muscles began to further uncoil. He continued to rub her back from her shoulders…down her torso…to her tiny waist. Then scooting back some more, he lightly rubbed her bottom…causing her to buck beneath him.

"Relax…" he whispered in the darkness…"Just relax…remember, we have all night…"

"You may have…I don't know if I do," she nearly panted….this time knowing it was her turn to writhe beneath him.

Chuckling at her response, he turned her over on her back, kissing her briefly before pouring the same oil over her collar bone and let it run down over her breasts and then had the heart-stopping experience of him repeating the process to the front of her that he had started on her back….lightly kissing her lips the entire time. "You know what the great thing about this stuff is?" he asked, having a hard time keeping his voice even.

"It gets warm?" she asked…just now beginning to feel the tingles from the oil

"Well...that…but it tastes as good as it smells…" he traced her collarbone with his tongue.

"Sweet Jesus, Woody…" Jordan surrendered to the moment, knowing she could do nothing else…letting his tongue and hands continue their motions, eliciting moans from her until she couldn't stand it anymore. "Woody…please…now?" She was nearly begging….

A cat with a canary couldn't have given her a more knowing smile before he slowly slid into her…knowing she was more than ready. Capturing her lips, he began to move…true to his promise, slowly at first…building up speed as he caught her rhythm and felt her hands dance across his hips, holding him firmly inside her as she wrapped her long legs around his waist in an effort to keep him as close to her as possible.

Jordan could feel her body reacting to his…his rhythm… until the pressure built, hurdling towards release…and when it finally came, she was completely spent…Woody had more than convinced her that the slow road to love making was better than anything she had experienced…she just wasn't sure she'd have the energy to get out of bed tomorrow morning. She sighed and cuddled up against him. "Check out time is eleven, right?" she asked.

"Ummmhmmm…What's the matter…want to sleep late?" he teased, propping himself up on his elbow so he could look in her face. He gently brushed the hair off her face and allowed his fingers to softly trace her profile.

"I think I'll need to," she replied, stroking his cheek with one hand "And you will, too."

Woody just smiled and kept running his fingers through her hair. "I love you, Jordan Cavanaugh…"

"I love you, too…"

"So are you sorry you started this charade with Kim?"

Thinking over the hours they had spent together….Woody's gentleness…his protectiveness…the words he had whispered to her….the fact that they both had been put in a position where they had to finally admit their feelings and then had the opportunity to act on them…nothing could ever make her regret it. "No…not at all. In retrospect, it's the best thing I've ever done for myself."

"Really?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

"Really."

He stopped running his fingers through her hair and instead placed an elbow on either side of her and kissed her…long … slow…deep….wet….Jordan felt her body begin to hum again. "Good…I feel the same way…Let me ask you something else.."

Jordan looked up at him expectantly…"Okay…"

"How do you feel about doing the same thing next year at this time?"

"Attend Kim's wedding again?" she asked, not quite following where he was going.

He kissed her again. "No…not Kim's….ours…" He looked at her then, a gleam of nervousness in his blue eyes.

"Ours…" Jordan closed her eyes for a second, expecting to feel the old urge to run…get the heck out of the room and away from him to take possession of her.

But it didn't come. Instead a warm feeling of contentment and excitement coursed through her veins, making her feel cozy and like that at last she had found her home. She smiled up at him…noting the way his uneasiness disappeared as she lightly kissed him. "I think it's a great idea," she said …"and Kim can be my bridesmaid this time…"

"And wear an uncomfortable pair of shoes…"

"And we could get this suite again…"

"For old time's sake…"

"And you can bring the stuff that freaks me out…"

"And we can go as slow as I want to…" Woody gave a deep chuckle and felt Jordan laugh with him. "You know, we do have until eleven tomorrow…" he said, seeking her lips again. "And I have some other stuff over there that might freak you out even more…"


End file.
